In a nutshell

This study examined the outcomes for patients who received brentuximab vedotin before allogenic stem cell transplantation. The authors concluded that patients treated with brentuximab vedotin had generally good outcomes.

Some background

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is generally considered a curable disease. However, some patients will not respond to first- or second-line treatments, or they will relapse. These patients may need to be treated with allogenic stem cell (immature blood cell) transplantation (allo-SCT) from a genetically matched donor.

Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is a treatment that uses antibodies to target particular proteins (CD30). These proteins are present in Hodgkin lymphoma cells and in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL; a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma). BV has been effective in treating patients who are undergoing stem cell transplantation using their own stem cells. It is not clear whether BC is an effective treatment before allo-SCT.

Methods & findings

The medical records of 12 patients were reviewed. 10 patients had classic Hodgkin lymphoma. 2 patients had ALCL. All patients were treated with BV before receiving allo-SCT. The average length of follow-up was 30 months.

The two-year progression free survival rate (time from treatment until disease progression) for patients with HL was 47%.The two-year overall survival rate (time from treatment until death from any cause) was 90%.

9 patients out of the whole group (75%) experienced complete remission after being treated with BV and allo-SCT.